This planned Pacoima Wash greenway is among 49 bicycle and pedestrian projects that Metro is “transitioning.” Metro had approved, but now cites a funding shortfall, and is encouraging this project to instead seek state funding. See full list of projects below. Image: Pacoima Wash Vision Plan courtesy of Pacoima Beautiful

At last week’s board meeting, Metro weighed the future of its commitment to funding active transportation: walking and bicycling. Changes in federal government funding are leading Metro to withdraw from its past bike and ped programs.

Right now, 49 projects, totaling over $90 million, are on Metro’s list for “transition.” Metro had approved funding for these, but is now requiring project sponsors to seek other monies.

For a couple of decades, Metro’s every-other-year Call for Projects (Call) has been the major source of funding for bike and pedestrian projects throughout L.A. County. Federal transportation funding passed to Metro. Local cities applied to Metro to receive funds. Relatively expensive bike/ped transportation projects, including completed portions of the L.A. River bike path, received Metro Call funding.

In 2012, the federal government passed its new transportation bill, called Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century, or MAP-21. The feds changed the rules for funding bicycle and pedestrian projects. Funding used to be through a program called Transportation Enhancements (TEA), which was eliminated. Now bike and ped funding is channeled through Transportation Alternatives (TA), which funds more types of projects with less money than was available under TEA. These federal changes have taken a while to work their way into California’s rules. In response to the federal changes, the state consolidated and retooled its bike and pedestrian funding into a new Active Transportation Program (ATP.) The ATP has a few pots of money (more on that in future articles), with the largest share being a statewide competitive process.

Metro, through its Call, had already approved funding for projects scheduled well into the future–through the year 2019. Federal and state changes have eliminated funds that Metro anticipated would pay for these future projects.

At the February 27th Metro Board meeting, Metro staff presented a report and presentation regarding transitioning to the state Active Transportation Program. In essence, Metro is looking to withdraw its previously-approved Call funding for 49 bicycle and pedestrian projects in various local cities. These projects (listed below) total $90 million in projected Metro funding. The 49-project list only represents around half of the Metro Call’s future bike and pedestrian project obligations–the ones that appear most likely to get state funding. So, there will likely be more hand-offs still to come.

In place of the no-longer-available Call funding, Metro would require cities to apply directly to the state for ATP funding. To effect a somewhat smoother hand-off, Metro would provide grant writing assistance. Applications to the statewide competitive ATP process are due May 21st, 2014.

Re-applying for project funding is not a trivial process. For many cities, including Los Angeles, this will likely require approval of the city’s Transportation Committee and full City Council. Additionally, the applications may need to be re-worked and local match funding reassigned via budget approval processes.

There appears to a little bit of wiggle room in somewhat vague references to “available alternate funds from Metro” and exemptions for projects that would experience “substantial delay.”

The L.A. River Revitalization Corporation’s Miranda Rodriguez testifying before the Metro Board last week. Two sections of the L.A. River bike path are on the list of projects that Metro plans to “transition.” Joe Linton/LA Streetsblog

Metro’s proposed transition alarmed local advocates, including the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition and the Safe Routes to School National Partnership. Those two groups submitted this joint comment letter, and posted this alert, urging that Metro “take a leadership role” in making sure that bike and ped projects are funded and built. At last week’s Metro board meeting, advocates from Pacoima Beautiful, Bike SGV, Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, C.I.C.L.E., L.A. River Revitalization Corporation and the board of the Azusa Unified School District joined the LACBC to testify in favor of Metro stepping up its commitment to walking and bicycling.

The Metro [staff] proposal to fill this funding gap would give a leg up to projects that were stale and outdated. This motion is designed to give active transportation projects a better leg to stand on when competing for these [state ATP] funds, especially projects in disadvantaged communities.

The Garcetti-Yaroslavsky-Bonin motion doesn’t restore any Metro funding for withdrawn projects. It does direct staff to report back to the board in April (one month before state ATP applications are due) with an updated project list. The substitute motion was approved by the Metro board.

Overall, though, with Metro transitioning away, the current trajectory of bike and pedestrian funding in L.A. County doesn’t look so promising. In the past, these projects have been meagerly funded. Going forward, there’s even less federal funding to go around. Instead of competing locally, projects in L.A. County will have to compete with projects throughout California. State funding will likely be even more administratively cumbersome than locally-awarded monies. Active transportation projects are likely to see delays, and possibly cancellations.

The future could be different if the funding processes are different.

Safe Routes to School National Partnership’s Jessica Meaney describes one funding solution this way:

At the heart of the challenge with Metro’s ATP transition proposal is the lack of any local dollars going to walk/bike investments.

Metro has relied on state and federal funds only to support walking and bicycling in L.A. County, and that doesn’t get us very far in addressing the need, demand, and safety issues. One percent of all Los Angeles County Transportation Funding is going towards walking and bicycling projects, that is incredibly small, and last week’s Board action, I hope, begins important conversations to change that, and begin ways to grow those investments, especially using easier to spend local dollars.

The current federal funding brings large federal administrative burdens; federal processes are geared toward multi-billion-dollar highway projects. Local dollars, under Metro control, are more flexible and much easier to spend for the relatively inexpensive projects that are needed to make walking and bicycling safe and convenient.

Metro’s continuing transition process (including reporting back at the March board meeting, and the unfolding state ATP processes) will give the public a continuing chance to weigh in on the importance of supporting active transportation.

Looking at this list of projects, this is a HUGE freaking blow!! But it sounds like there’s nothing to be done??

Joe Linton

Many of these projects are likely to receive some state funding. LACBC and Safe Routes to School National Partnership are campaigning to change the way Metro funding works – you might get involved with those organizations. You might start by letting your Metro board member know that you want them to support bike and ped (share this article with them via social media.)

James Brasuell

This article states that ATP applications are due May 21, 2013. Is that supposed to be 2014?

Ryanwiggins

Thanks for the info Joe. Where does the money from the ATP that is automatically sub-allocated figure into this? I believe it was %50 to the regions. This just refers to the %40 that stays at the state level correct?

James Rojas

Hey some of those projects I approved when I worked at METRO as the TEA Coordinator! Did Metro spend all it’s TEA funds to buy Union Station?? The problems with how Metro defines transportation. There are plenty of Local funding sources to fund these projects if they were “Transportation” projects. Now is the time to talk to the Lawyers.

Joe Linton

oops – yes it’s 2014 – corrected.

ubrayj02

Ah, the old bike and pedestrian funding ghetto. In California, bicycle projects are legally defined as transportation projects. Metro’s Call For Projects still has the as yet untapped Transportation Demand Management funds for bike and pedestrian projects. There needs to be a legal precedent set that almost the entire basket of transportation dollars can be claimed rightfully by pedestrian and bicycle projects.

Joe Linton

@disqus_ktt6R5nbl7:disqus I think you have it reversed. According to the Metro staff presentation http://media.metro.net/board/Items/2014/02_february/20140227rbmitem20handout.pdf the State administers 60% – in two pots – statewide and rural. This article focuses on the largest pot of the money – the 50% statewide competitive. The other 10% administered by the state is for rural areas. The regions (in L.A.’s case, SCAG) get 40%. I’ll be looking at that SCAG pot of money, hopefully soon.

Because it is a sequential application process, the projects that don’t get funded in the statewide call will automatically compete in SCAG’s share. So for Metro’s process, it is not important to distinguish between the State call and the SCAG call. There is a possibility that SCAG may give extra weight to Metro’s project list, but we are working to avoid that as it would result in lower quality projects getting funded.

Lost

This is a typo.. City of Burbank, San Fernando Bikeway ($6,595,000, $5,834 remaining)
Should be 5,834,000 remaining.

It would totally suck if this gets the shaft.

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